GREENSBORO, NC – The Greensboro Gargoyles, proud ECHL affiliate of the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes and the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, kicked off their 2026-2027 campaign with two games against the Reading Royals. The Gargoyles fell both nights of the home weekend series: 3–2 on Friday and 4–0 on Saturday at First Horizon Coliseum. The Gargoyles will continue their numerous early-season home games with two matchups against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits: Saturday at 7 p.m. and Howl-o-ween on Sunday at 3 p.m.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND

The Gargoyles were ready to sound off on their season opener, with stars Paul Bissonette and Pat Kelly on the pregame show and Steve Smith Sr. in the house to sound the siren for the sellout crowd of 10,000. New to Greensboro this year is Head Coach Mitch Giguere. Previously, Giguere was part of a lot of success with the Wheeling Nailers and looks to bring a physical brand of hockey to Gate City.

After puck drop, the season got off to a sluggish start as the first game in the ECHL got underway, with no goals in the first 20 minutes for either side. Defenseman Tristan De Jong got the building jumping seconds into the second period when he dropped the gloves at center ice with Reading’s Artem Kulakov. Battered and bloody, De Jong raised his hands to get the crowd on its feet and behind the Gargoyles.

Later in the second period, Jack Seymour scored the Gargoyles’ first goal of the new season with a smooth backdoor backhand shot over the catching glove of Yaniv Perets. The play was created when Markus Oden rocketed down the right wing and sent the puck all the way across the goal mouth to Seymour.

The Gargoyles trailed 2–1 entering the third period. Austen May then lit the lamp on the power play, igniting the Coliseum crowd with the tying goal. Despite the loss, Yegor Velmakin was sensational in net for the Gargoyles, saving 35 of 38 shots faced.

Saturday night saw the Gargoyles fall into a quick deficit in the first six minutes, but Rushlan Khazeyev settled in net, keeping the contest competitive and shutting the door on multiple Grade-A Royals opportunities. Khazeyev finished with 28 saves on 32 shots in the 4–0 loss.

ROSTER TRANSACTIONS

TRADE: The Greensboro Gargoyles announced Sunday that they have acquired rookie forward Parker Lindauer from the Bloomington Bison in exchange for future considerations. Lindauer, 25, began his professional career last season with Bloomington, recording nine points (4G-5A) in 12 games to close out the 2025–26 season. Before joining the Bison, the Madison, WI, native capped off a four-year NCAA career as an assistant captain at Union College.

Lindauer appeared in 31 games at the University of Maine during his freshman and sophomore seasons before transferring to Union for his final two seasons. As a senior, he recorded career highs with 34 points (10G-24A) in 37 games played, finishing tied for fifth in the ECAC in assists and 11th in the conference in total points.

MILESTONES

Friday night’s season opener was Head Coach Mitch Giguere’s first game as a head coach at any professional level. The Montreal native had spent the previous three seasons as an assistant coach with the Wheeling Nailers and, before that, two seasons in the KHL with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod as a video coach.

Austen May’s game-tying power-play goal in Friday night’s contest was his first professional goal. May had spent the previous season at Northeastern University, where he finished with four goals and six assists in 36 games played.

Markus Oden’s first North American point came in his first North American game. Oden’s primary assist on Jack Seymour’s goal Friday night marked the North American debut of the Finnish-American, who was born in Washington state.

Ryan Hughes’ first North American professional point came in the form of a secondary assist on Austen May’s game-tying goal. Hughes played at the University of Alberta from 2020 to 2023 before playing professionally in England and Denmark.

Yegor Velmakin made his North American debut Friday night. The 23-year-old Russian played 19 games in the KHL from 2023 to 2025 and 35 games in the VHL during the 2022–23 and 2025–26 seasons.